To determine and modify electroencephalographic(EEG) activity in the young and old human brain, to determine the behavioral significance of age changes in the EEG, and to test possible strategies for maximizing behavioral and nervous system capacity in old age are the major objectives of the proposed research. Data will also be used to test models of EEG-behavior relationships based on the concept of arousal and on the concept of the excitability cycle. The slowing of the EEG alpha rhythm is one of the best-documented age changes in the psychophysiological literature. Attempts will be made to modify alpha frequency in young and old subjects to determine the effects of this training on measures of performance. Central and automatic nervous system measures will also be monitored. Particular attention will be paid to the interrelationships of central and autonomic nervous system measures of arousal and their possible implications for behaviorial changes which occur with age. EEG recording and averaging techniques will be used to investigate the whole frequency range of the EEG in various cortical areas as well as relationships between cortical areas. Attention will also be given to the relationships between evoked potentials, behavior, and rhythmic EEG activity. The information derived from this project is of potential significance in the scientific fields of psychology, electrophysiology, and gerontology, and the results may lead to new strategies for improving performance in the aged.